This is off the wall! Brett's sharing with you his go-to fundraising appeal writing checklist.

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Brett here:

I'm the kind of guy who counts on forgetting.

(I know me.)

That's why two of my best buds are Google Calendar and iPhone alarms.

Best bud #1:

Best bud #2:

Maybe you're not like me, your memory is good as gold, and you are fond of saying "checklist schmecklist", but just in case... I'll share with you this go-to fundraising appeal writing checklist I created:

7 fundraising appeal writing forget-me-nots and 5 what-ifs

I'm talking 7 elements I almost always include when writing an appeal and 5 elements I consider in the early planning stages in case I can figure out a good way to use them.

Brett's 7 fundraising appeal writing forget-me-nots

1. Relatable, relevant hook/opening​
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   — I want the whole fundraising appeal letter but especially the first paragraph and most especially the first sentence to feel for the donor as if I am talking to them directly, as one caring person to another, not as an organization humble-bragging or corporate-speaking a person.
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   — I want to establish some kind of connection right away, so that the first words speak to something the donor cares about and understands.
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   — Usually this means including the word "you" or some form thereof.
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   — Often it's a snapshot of something very relatable, that most people have experienced. The idea is to get the donor remembering and feeling any associated memories before connecting the idea to what the beneficiary went through or what the nonprofit organization is going through.
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   — Sometimes this is in the form of a question.
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   — Sometimes it's a bit of imagery.
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   — It's only as long as it needs to be to make a connection with the donor that overlaps somehow with the content of the appeal that will follow.
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2. Fundraising story of need​
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   — Usually, an appeal works best when we have a story of someone or something in need.
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   — This tends to be a "story of one" in which one person or animal is featured as the "main character."
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   — The main goal is to write the story so the donor feels as if they are there; as if they can understand it, see it, and feel it; as if they are needed.
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   — I want the donor to be able to experience something, at least one moment, preferably at least one "scene," possibly with dialogue and imagery and other senses evoked.
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   — I want the donor to really feel it.
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   ​— The way to make this happen is usually first to make myself really feel it, then to try to represent the story through the lens of feeling it and including the specific details that cause me to feel it.
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3. Donor story of giving
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   — I want to remember that the donor's life story is part of the above story. They are more likely to give because of their life story. I want to weave in language that might connect the donor's life story to the fundraising story of need.
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   — This might apply during segmentation. For example, "As a monthly donor, you've shown how much you care for single mothers in Memphis, every day of the year." (Giving every month is part of their life story.)
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   — Outside of segmentation, I usually try to include at least 2 or 3 sentences along these lines. E.g., "Please be there for a neighbor in need this holiday season." (Helping neighbors in need, especially during the holidays, is part of their life story.)
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4. Identity language​
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   — Related to and part of the donor's life story is language pertaining to their identity. Such language reminds donors of who they are and helps activate the parts of the brain and heart associated with any given identity.
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   — Therefore, I might say something like. "If you've ever loved a child..." or "Thank you for being the kind of person who..."
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5. Shared humanity​
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   — All of the above can overlap with the concept of shared humanity: something to keep in mind to help you frame your messaging as you write an appeal.
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   — Anything that connects all or most all people applies here: love, death, pain, loss, grief, hope, struggle, education, dreams, and so on... Weave such concepts into your hooks, your fundraising stories, your donor stories of giving, your donor identity language, etc.
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6. Compelling offer​
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   — Once you've established the problem in your appeal (probably via the fundraising story), you should offer a way that the donor can help, that connects their life story to your organization's story and the story of whoever/whatever you are featuring in your fundraising story.
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   — Typically, this works best when there are specifics to who or what will be helped, and how.
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   — This should be a "donor-sized problem," not too large that it feels hopeless or beyond the donor to assist and not too small that it seems unworthy of the donor's attention.
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   — If you have matching funds, that will make your offer all the more compelling to most donors.
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7. Multiple ASKs​
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   — Donors tend to have busy lives. If you're lucky, they will skim your fundraising appeal. If you're even luckier, they will feel the urgency of the problem and decide to help by giving. The chances of this are greater if you directly ask them to give multiple times. The repetition is key, especially for skimmers.
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   — It's usually best to include at least one ASK on each page, possibly in the Johnson Box, probably within the first few paragraphs, and most likely in the P.S., which is one of the key areas donors draw their attention to — so please forget-it-not.
   

Brett's 5 fundraising appeal writing what-ifs

1. “Coffee ring”?​
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   — If I can think of a way to include imagery that will give a direct mail fundraising appeal letter a human touch — literally, the sense that a single person has touched this letter before the donor took it in their hands, then I might suggest the idea to the designer (in my case, usually, Julie).
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   — Designers have many ways to work their magic. One of those ways is to include an image of a coffee ring on one of the pages of the appeal, as if the writer accidentally set their coffee down there.
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   — But "Coffee ring" is a placeholder for these sorts of ideas, which can also include: paper clips (actual or in image form), stamps (actual or in image form), signatures, and "handwritten" marginalia.
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   — Hat tip to John Lepp for these wonderful ideas! (Also, if you haven't already, we highly recommend you check out his book Creative Deviations for more like this.)
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2. Nostalgia?​
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   — If I can mention Silly Putty or Cabbage Patch Kids or Woodstock ... or anything else that might be nostalgic for donors, my pen will jump at the chance! For most people, nostalgia is full of life-story-worthy unforgettable feelings.
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3. Surprise?​
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   — If I can surprise donors (and perhaps delight them), I will, usually with glee.
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   — For example, I have this idea that "PLEASE BEND" would make for great outer envelope teaser copy because it flips on its head the common teaser language of "DO NOT BEND." If I could find a way to connect my idea to a compelling fundraising story, and a client would agree to the concept, I would love to do so because I think it would surprise and delight and perform well. I mean, really, could you resist opening an envelope that said "PLEASE BEND"??? But the point is not my idea. The point is to look for ways you might do something in a different kind of way that would be hard for donors to ignore (so long as it is relevant to the ideas in and tone of your appeal).
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4. Poetry?​
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   — If I can naturally include a bit of poetry, original or not, well, just try to stop me from breaking out my quill pen and fountain of ink!
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   — Poetry can be quite nostalgic for donors.
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   — Poetry is also connected to music, to strong feelings of shared humanity, to the heart.
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   — Do not underestimate the odd line or two of poetry.
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5. Map?​
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   — There's something irresistibly nerdy about maps. You pore over maps. You linger on maps. You take your time with maps. Any kind of map. You can get super creative here.
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   — You want donors to spend as much time with your appeal as possible. Maps are your friend in this department.
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   — If I can include a map, oh indeed I will.

Maybe print this, if it might help?

I sure know I'd forget without a reminder!